Bradley County

Every figure on PlainSchools is rendered directly from the source NCES, CRDC and F-33 federal records, no number is typed in by an editor. District totals are aggregated directly from the schools reporting under this district in the source records. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.

Cleveland, Tennessee - 17 schools

An equity score of 24/100 ranks Bradley County #119 of 140 districts in Tennessee (state average 38). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.

At $9,558 per pupil, Bradley County ranks #127 of 141 Tennessee districts by per-pupil spending (Tennessee districts). NCES F-33 finance data.

10,269
Total Enrollment
17
Schools
$9,558
Per-Pupil Spending
Combined, High
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Bradley County operates 17 public schools serving 10,269 students, placing it among the smaller districts in Tennessee. The school portfolio breaks down into 13 combined, 2 high, 2 middle schools, a compact enough portfolio that families can compare every campus directly before they move, rent, or enrol. These enrollment and school figures come from the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2024-25 release, and the district is based in Bradley County.

Per-pupil expenditure runs $9,558 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, among the bottom 15 of 141 Tennessee districts by per-pupil spending. See how Tennessee compares in our national per-pupil spending analysis. The funding mix is 28.9% local, 46.1% state, and 25.0% federal, a balanced mix across local, state, and federal sources, spreading budget risk across funding cycles rather than concentrating it in one. The district's equity score is 24/100, ranked #119 of 140 in Tennessee against a state average of 38, notably less even than the typical district in the state for how evenly funding reaches its schools.

Academic infrastructure includes 2 of 17 schools offering Advanced Placement (16 AP courses district-wide), a 402.6:1 student-counselor ratio, well above the ASCA benchmark though still under the roughly 408:1 national average, and 18.3% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 81.7% White, 10.5% Hispanic or Latino, 2.4% African American across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Oak Grove Elementary School, with a diversity index of 46.0/100.

Its largest campus is Bradley Central High School, enrolling 1,649 students (16% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is North Cleveland Goal Academy, at 14 students, a 118x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.

Bradley Central High School accounts for 16.1% of all Bradley County student enrollment

That concentration means Bradley County-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the dominant entity. Grade band: high. A single dominant campus often anchors a district's program offerings and staffing patterns; the share helps explain why district-wide averages may not reflect the typical neighbourhood-school experience. When one entity dominates a region's footprint, its programmatic and budget decisions effectively set policy for a majority of the affected population.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data NCES Common Core of Data

Bradley County school enrollment varies 118× across entities

Bradley County school enrollment ranges from 14 students (lowest) to 1,649 students (highest), a spread of 1,635 students. That ratio is an extreme outlier spread — among the widest gaps observed anywhere in this dataset. Per-school staffing ratios, programme availability, and capital-renovation cycles often diverge inside the same district based on enrollment shape.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data NCES Common Core of Data

Bradley County student-counselor ratio is 403:1 — high (typically associated with staffing constraints that limit per-student counselor time; CRDC data shows higher ratios cluster in larger urban systems)

student-counselor ratio is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: the ratio counts FTE counselors against total enrollment, districts that contract intervention or social-emotional staff outside the counselor classification may be under-counted Higher values may reflect larger urban scale or recent resource constraints that have widened the gap.

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection NCES Civil Rights Data Collection

Bradley County chronic absenteeism rate is 18.3% — near the typical range (US average ~28) — aligned with the national post-pandemic baseline of roughly 28% chronic absenteeism

chronic absenteeism rate is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: a student is chronically absent if they miss ≥10% of enrolled days for any reason, illness, family obligations, or disengagement Variation between sub-units within Bradley County is typically wider than the Bradley County-aggregate figure suggests.

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection 2021-22 NCES Civil Rights Data Collection 2021-22

Where does the funding come from?

25.0%
Federal
46.1%
State
28.9%
Local

Funding Equity

24
Equity Score
119 / 140
State Rank
38
State Average

This district scores below average on funding equity. High reliance on local revenue or lower spending may contribute.

Student Demographics

Average demographic composition across 17 schools in Bradley County.

White 81.7%
Hispanic or Latino 10.5%
African American 2.4%
Asian 0.7%
Multiracial 4.5%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Student-body diversity

Average diversity index 31.4/100

Average Simpson diversity index across Bradley County's schools, below the Tennessee average of 38.3.

Most mixed schools

  1. 1 Oak Grove Elementary School 46.0
  2. 2 Michigan Avenue Elementary School 39.1
  3. 3 Waterville Community Elementary School 38.8
  4. 4 Prospect Elementary School 36.1
  5. 5 Bradley County Virtual School 34.4

Programs & Resources

2 / 17
Schools with AP
16 AP courses total
402.6:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
18.3%
Chronically Absent

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC) 2021-22.

Schools in Bradley County

School Enrollment
Bradley Central High School
1,649
Walker Valley High School
1,450
Lake Forest Middle School
1,173
Ocoee Middle School
1,096
Waterville Community Elementary School
677
Black Fox Elementary School
493
North Lee Elementary School
485
Hopewell Elementary School
457
Michigan Avenue Elementary School
452
Park View Elementary School
425
Prospect Elementary School
400
Oak Grove Elementary School
383
Charleston Elementary School
358
Valley View Elementary School
323
Taylor Elementary School
249
Bradley County Virtual School
132
North Cleveland Goal Academy
14

How Bradley County Compares to Similar-Size Districts

The Tennessee districts closest to this one in total enrollment.

District Enrollment Spending Funding Mix
Hamblen County Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
Tipton County Similar size Similar spending Similar funding mix
Blount County Similar size Higher spending More locally funded
Murfreesboro Similar size Higher spending More locally funded
Collierville Similar size Higher spending More locally funded

Comparisons are relative to Bradley County's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data and the F-33 Finance Survey.

Nearby Districts in Tennessee

Top districts in the same state, compare side-by-side for enrollment, spending, and demographics.

Memphis-Shelby County Schools
109,797 students · 222 schools · $13,650/pupil
Compare vs Bradley County →
Davidson County
80,651 students · 161 schools · $15,421/pupil
Compare vs Bradley County →
Knox County
60,609 students · 93 schools · $10,538/pupil
Compare vs Bradley County →
Rutherford County
50,707 students · 51 schools · $10,141/pupil
Compare vs Bradley County →
Hamilton County
45,902 students · 81 schools · $12,002/pupil
Compare vs Bradley County →

Compare Bradley County

See how this district compares to others in enrollment, spending, demographics, and academic resources.

Compare vs Memphis-Shelby County Schools →

Frequently Asked Questions

How many schools are in Bradley County?

Bradley County has 17 schools, including 2 high, 2 middle, 13 combined. Total enrollment is 10,269 students.

How much does Bradley County spend per student?

Bradley County spends $9,558 per student. The district has an equity score of 24/100, ranking #119 in Tennessee.

What is the demographic composition of Bradley County?

Bradley County students are 81.7% White, 10.5% Hispanic or Latino, 2.4% African American, 0.7% Asian, averaged across 17 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

What is the equity score for Bradley County?

Bradley County has an equity score of 24/100, ranking #119 out of 140 districts in Tennessee.